AP BIOLOGY

ECOLOGY

BIOMES

Question [CLICK ON ANY CHOICE TO KNOW THE RIGHT ANSWER]
zooplankton are
A
tiny autotrophic organisms in water
B
large plants
C
tiny heterotrophic organisms in water
D
large animals
Explanation: 

Detailed explanation-1: -Zooplankton are heterotrophic (other-feeding), whereas phytoplankton are autotrophic (self-feeding). In other words, zooplankton cannot manufacture their own food. Rather, they must eat other plants or animals instead. In particular, they eat phytoplankton, which are generally smaller than zooplankton.

Detailed explanation-2: -While most zooplankton are ‘heterotrophs’ – that is they obtain their energy from consuming organic compounds, such as algae or other zooplankton-some zooplankton, such as the dinoflagellates, may also be fully or partially photosynthetic-gaining their energy, as plants do, from sunlight.

Detailed explanation-3: -Zooplankton are heterotrophs that get their energy from feeding on phytoplankton, bacteria, other zooplankton, or even non-living material in the ocean. Zooplankton include single-celled protists (that are sometimes referred to as microzooplankton).

Detailed explanation-4: -Zooplankton are tiny marine animals that drift with ocean currents and the winds. Many zooplankton can swim up and down the water column, but most are so small that they can’t swim strongly against the current. Zooplankton also include larvae, immature forms of larger marine animals.

Detailed explanation-5: -Zooplankton are small, aquatic microorganisms in the water column that include crustaceans, rotifers, open water insect larvae and aquatic mites. The zooplankton community is composed of both primary consumers, which eat free-floating algae, and secondary consumers, which feed on other zooplankton.

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